Post by Melanie on Feb 8, 2006 14:54:31 GMT
The 5 metre snake Wonambi naracoortensis was first described from fossils at Naracoorte, and was the first extinct snake to be described from Australia.
The name Wonambi comes from the Aboriginal name for giant rainbow serpents that inhabited sacred waterholes and enforced sacred law.
Model of Wonambi naracoortensis crushing a wallaby in its coils
This snake would have killed by wrapping its body around its prey and slowly tightening the coils until the animal suffocated.
Its skull was comparatively small and it would have taken small to medium sized prey, mostly mammals.
Scientists recognised early that Wonambi was related to the more ancient and even larger extinct madtsoiid snakes which had been found in the fossil record of South America and Africa.
More remains of madtsoiids have since been found in Australia, notably at Riversleigh in Queensland including a smaller version of Wonambi.
Fossilised remains of madtsoiid snakes have now been found on nearly every continent that once was part of the supercontinent, Gondwana.
They became extinct on all other continents around 55 million years ago, but continued to diversify in Australia.
Wonambi naracoortensis was the last of this ancient lineage and died out within the last 50,000 years.
The name Wonambi comes from the Aboriginal name for giant rainbow serpents that inhabited sacred waterholes and enforced sacred law.
Model of Wonambi naracoortensis crushing a wallaby in its coils
This snake would have killed by wrapping its body around its prey and slowly tightening the coils until the animal suffocated.
Its skull was comparatively small and it would have taken small to medium sized prey, mostly mammals.
Scientists recognised early that Wonambi was related to the more ancient and even larger extinct madtsoiid snakes which had been found in the fossil record of South America and Africa.
More remains of madtsoiids have since been found in Australia, notably at Riversleigh in Queensland including a smaller version of Wonambi.
Fossilised remains of madtsoiid snakes have now been found on nearly every continent that once was part of the supercontinent, Gondwana.
They became extinct on all other continents around 55 million years ago, but continued to diversify in Australia.
Wonambi naracoortensis was the last of this ancient lineage and died out within the last 50,000 years.
